1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to systems for cooling or heating food products by conveying the food products through a cooling or heating zone.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Food products such as hamburger patties or fish fillets are processed by quick freezing techniques primarily on long continuous conveyor systems. Refrigerated air is typically blown across the product to remove heat. Due to the relatively slow rate of heat transfer these systems require large amounts of conveying surface area to hold substantial quantities of food products for the required duration. These carrying systems can be linear or helical and typically require a substantial amount of space.